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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. wound — an injury
  3. land — a country
  4. wound — an injury
  5. fall — to drop
  6. board — a committee
  7. fall — to drop
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — in sport
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. board — to get on
  15. land — to come down
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. season — of the year
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. suit — clothes
  20. fall — the season
  21. suit — in cards
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. land — ground

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com